This application claims the priority of German patent 197 16 047.6, filed Apr. 17, 1997, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a fastening arrangement for a roof rack on a vehicle.
From German Patent Document DE 31 51 405 C2, a vehicle roof for a passenger car is known which has sunk roof channels extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in laterally exterior regions, in the region of the roof channels, fastening arrangements being provided for the carrier feet of roof racks. In this arrangement, profiled holding rails are inserted in both roof channels and have a fastening web for a fastening in the roof channel and an upwardly extending web with an edge pointing to the outside for connecting a roof rack.
In this case, a supporting arm of the roof rack rests on the top side of the outwardly pointing edge, whereas a profiled clamping part is braced by means of a tightening screw against the underside of the edge and against the supporting arm. The tensioning screw is protected against theft by means of an additional lockable flap.
In this type of fastening for the roof rack, the roof channel, viewed in the transverse direction of the vehicle, must have a relatively large width in order to be able to introduce the bent clamping part into the roof channel. In addition, these carrier feet are suitable only for the absorption of a relatively low roof load. Each multi-part carrier foot formed by a supporting arm, a clamping part and a lockable exterior flap has a high-expenditure construction.
It is an object of the invention to provide a fastening for roof racks which has a simple construction on a vehicle roof with roof channels having a small width, in which case the roof racks can be mounted fast and easily and can also absorb high roof loads.
This and other objects have been achieved according to the present invention by providing arrangement for fastening a roof rack on a vehicle having longitudinally extending roof channels along laterally exterior sides of a roof, comprising: a receiving adapter to be premounted on the roof channel, said receiving adapter having a projecting receiving region; and a one-piece carrier foot connected to or integral with a transverse support of the roof rack, said one-piece carrier foot having a hollow lower end region to be placed on said projecting receiving region, said one-piece carrier foot being connectable to said receiving adapter.
This and other objects have been achieved according to the present invention by providing a receiving adapter for fastening a roof rack on a vehicle having roof channels extending in a longitudinal direction, said receiving adapter comprising: a supporting base to be aligned approximately parallel to a bottom of the roof channel in a mounted position; a plurality of supporting walls extending generally upward from said supporting base; a roof section extending between upper edges of the supporting walls; and a pair of supporting webs extending generally downward from said supporting base, said supporting webs being aligned in the longitudinal direction in the mounted position and arranged at a distance from one another to define a clearance therebetween.
The principal advantages achieved by the invention are that, as the result of the one-piece construction of the carrier feet and the arrangement of pre-mounted receiving adapters in the region of the roof channels, a simple fastening is achieved for the roof racks by means of which high roof loads can be implemented.
As the result of the interaction of the receiving adapter and the carrier foot which is form-locking in regions, a premounting of the roof rack already takes place when the roof rack is placed. The receiving adapter can be fastened in a simple manner with a single fastening screw on a hexagonal blind rivet nut anchored on the bottom of the roof channel or a suitable base plate (fastening element). The lower hollow end region of the carrier foot completely covers the upper receiving area of the receiving adapter which projects from the roof and the first fastening screw (protection against theft).
The support surfaces, which are arranged on the top side of the receiving adapter and are sloped symmetrically about the center axis, allow the receiving adapter to be used for the forward and for the rearward carrier feet as well as for the left and the right side of each roof rack. The lower edge of the carrier foot extends in a surrounding manner at a narrow distance from the vehicle roof situated underneath. Each carrier foot can be fastened via a second fastening screw accessible from above in a simple manner on the receiving adapter situated underneath.
For protecting the second fastening screw and the receiving element inserted into the groove of the transverse support against theft, a locking cap is used which in sections is pushed into the transverse support, is provided with a lock and covers an upper, laterally exterior supporting section of the carrier foot.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.